


Rocket Man

by Nylocke



Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Astronaut AU, Astronaut Lothar and CAPCOM Khad, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Song Lyrics, kind of, this is just shameful fluff theres no excuse lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 20:04:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7697689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nylocke/pseuds/Nylocke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Commander Lothar, this is Ground Control. Do you copy?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rocket Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eriakit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eriakit/gifts).



> This is a gift to Eriakit in an attempt to apologize for becoming a Lionslayer. Also, thanks very much to Arcane-Renegade for beta reading this. 
> 
> I was listening to _Space Oddity_ at three in the morning over a cup of earl grey and... this happened. In retrospect, it could have been angst. Thank god that didn't happen. Anyway, this is mostly a self-indulgence on my part: Liontrust fluff and space things combined into one giant mess of whatever this is. 
> 
> Also, i'd like to note that when I started writing Karos into literally every fic, he didn't automatically come up in the character tags. He does now. I feel very accomplished.

“Commander Lothar.”

Lothar looked over his shoulder. He turned, smiling widely when he saw Llane Wrynn walking towards him. He wore a navy blue tie and a white button up shirt, which was neatly tucked into his black pants. He had his hair pulled back into a bun, and his thick-framed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose as he smiled down at his friend. 

“So, you finally made it, eh?” Llane said with a smirk, slipping a hand into his pocket as he stood beside Lothar. “I’ve been waiting for you to get your ass down here. I haven’t seen you since our internships ended.”

Lothar punched Llane’s shoulder playfully. “ _Some_ of us had two years of training to go through.” he pointed out. “It’s not fair that you got to start working right after your internship.”

“Isn’t it?” Llane asked in mock surprise. “And here I was under the impression that you became an Astronaut Candidate right after yours, Anduin.”

Lothar grinned. “Yeah, but I had training. For two years. In a desert.”

“You didn’t spend two years straight in a desert.” Llane laughed, throwing his arm around Lothar’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, mate.”

“You too, Llane.” Lothar said with a wide smile. “So, you’re my flight controller, eh?”

Llane nodded, a proud smile tracing its way across his face. “Don’t worry, I won’t crash you into the moon.” 

Lothar laughed heartily, pulling Llane into a tight hug. 

********

Khadgar pulled nervously at his tie. He came to work at this exact building every day, yet he had never felt so anxious as he stepped through the doors into the cool air conditioning. It wasn’t like this was his first mission, but the missions he had worked before had been extremely short, lasting a week or less. This was his first mission that would last three months, and, as the capsule communicator, he was responsible for keeping the astronauts in contact with ground control for the entire duration. It also doubled as his first mission to the International Space Station, launching this to the top of his list of “Important Life Accomplishments.”

He made his way to his cubicle, where he gathered his papers. His fingers trembled as he shuffled them together, shoved them in his bag, and headed off to the flight simulator. The familiar high ceiling and bright lights greeted him along with the beeps and chimes of the flight simulation room. He crossed to where he saw Llane Wrynn standing, leaning against the metal rungs of the railing around the simulation chamber. He tugged at the front of his shirt, straightening it out before he approached the flight controller.

“Excuse me, Mr. Wrynn?” Khadgar called. Llane turned to him, pushing up his glasses with a smile. 

“Ah, Khadgar, yes? Good to meet you.” Llane said, offering his hand for Khadgar to shake. “Please, call me Llane.”

“Llane,” Khadgar repeated with a nod, “Nice to meet you, too. You’re the flight controller for the _Honor_ mission, yes?”

“That’s right,” Llane affirmed, “And you’re the CAPCOM, aren’t you?

Khadgar nodded, licking his lips absentmindedly. 

They turned to face the simulator as the door clanked open and Lothar stepped out onto the deck, his spacesuit unzipped to his waist, showing off his tank-top clad torso.

“Ah, Lothar,” Llane said with a grin, “This is Khadgar. He’s going to be the CAPCOM on your mission.”

Lothar nodded a greeting. “Nice to meet you, Khadgar. I’m Anduin. Anduin Lothar.”

Khadgar blinked as he caught himself staring. “Nice to meet you too, Lothar.” he said with a grin. 

Lothar smirked mischievously at him before turning his attention back to Llane. “So, are we ready then? I’ve calibrated the simulation equipment.”

Llane nodded. “Alright, let’s get to it, then. Come with me, Khadgar.”

Khadgar followed obediently behind Llane as they made their way up to the simulated mission control: a glass chamber across from the flight simulator. Llane grabbed two headsets from the desk, putting one on before handing the other to Khadgar. It made his hair rustle as Khadgar pulled it over his ears and brought the microphone to his mouth. 

“Commander Lothar? Can you hear me? Over.”

“‘Commander Lothar’, eh? Sounds good coming from you, kid. Over.”

Llane smirked at the blush that spread across Khadgar’s cheeks. “Are you ready to start? Over.”

“Ready when you are. Over.”

Khadgar nodded as Llane flicked the switch to start the simulation. The simulator whirred to life across from them. Khadgar felt nervousness flutter in his stomach like a thousand butterflies. 

“Alright, I’m starting the failure protocol. Over.” Llane said. 

“Here we go.” Khadgar murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Llane typed a command into the computer in front of him, setting off the failure protocol; it simulated what would happen if the oxygen flow during reentry was sucked away from the main chamber and out towards the heat shield. The emergency program they were testing was designed to regulate oxygen currents so that the main chamber maintained a necessary level of oxygen as the capsule descended back to earth. 

Khadgar held his breath as the simulation started, the familiar warning pings going off inside the chamber. 

“This thing is more annoying than my alarm clock. Over.” Lothar said snarkily from the chamber.

“This is serious, Lothar.” Khadgar groaned. “Over.” 

“Loosen up, kid. Over.”

Khadgar huffed, flustered, as Llane chuckled from behind him. 

The simulated air flow began to head towards the fake heat shield, triggering another alarm from inside the chamber. 

“Oh god,” Khadgar breathed after the alarm didn’t shut off, “It’s not working.”

“What do you mean, ‘it’s not working’? Over.”

“I _mean_ it’s not working.” Khadgar repeated. “The redirection of airflow should have automatically triggered the program. Over.”

There was a silence over the intercom as Lothar let the information sink in. “Let’s finish the simulation. Over.”

Khadgar sighed heavily as a red light dinged on, signifying that the oxygen would have run out in the main chamber. He took of his headset slowly, running a hand through his hair as he set it down on the desk. 

Lothar exited the simulation chamber with a wide grin. “We’ve only just met, and you’re already trying to kill me?” he called. “I’m hurt.” 

Khadgar followed Llane down to where Lothar was standing. “I’m sorry.” he muttered. 

Lothar laughed heartily, clapping a hand on Khadgar’s shoulder. “I was joking. It’s just a simulation, kid.” he said. “Don’t take it so seriously. Besides, you’re the CAPCOM. It’s Llane’s fault, if anyone’s.” he added, smirking at his friend. Llane punched his arm. 

Khadgar nodded, meeting Lothar’s blue eyes as he grinned. 

********

“Llane.”

Llane looked up over his glasses at the young man rushing toward him, papers in his hands. He let himself smile. They had gotten fairly familiar over the past few months of simulations and training. 

“Hello, Khadgar. What do you need?” Llane responded as Khadgar stopped in front of him. 

“Is Lothar here?”

Llane smirked. “He’s in the anti-gravity simulator.” Llane informed him. Khadgar nodded. “What did you need?”

“I need to know if Lothar is fluent in Russian.” Khadgar replied. “Mine is shaky, at best. I need to know if he can translate for me in case I need to directly communicate with the Russian astronauts on the International Space Station.”

Llane smirked, mischief in his eyes as he leaned in slightly. “Khadgar,” he began, “All the Russian astronauts are fluent in English. You should know that; this isn’t your first mission.” Khadgar swallowed as Llane pressed on. “Did you make up an excuse to come and see him?”

“N-no,” Khadgar stammered, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “It’s an honest question. This is my first mission to the International Space Station.”

Llane leaned back. “That’s a shame.” he said. Khadgar’s eyebrows perked up inquisitively. “I’m sure Anduin would like to see you. Unless I’ve been mistaken every time I catch him staring at you.” 

“What do you mean by that?”

Llane simply cocked an eyebrow at the boy, crossing his arms as Lothar walked around the corner in his spacesuit. 

“Hey, Khadgar.” Lothar said with a smile, unzipping his suit to his waist and shrugging the top half off his shoulders. Khadgar had to tear his eyes away from the man’s gorgeous, tan arms as he smiled at him. 

“Hello, Lothar.”

“That’s _Commander_ to you.” Lothar teased. Khadgar rolled his eyes so hard Lothar was afraid they’d pop out of his skull. Lothar smirked. “Anyway, I was going to ask a favor of you, but if you’re going to be like that…”

“What favor?” Khadgar asked, a little quicker than he should have. Lothar smirked.

“I’m going to the gym, but Karos can’t come today, and I need someone to spot for me.” Lothar said, running a hand through his hair. Khadgar licked his lip absentmindedly. “Would you mind?”

Khadgar shook his head. “No, um, that sounds great. When are you going?”

“Now.” Lothar said with a grin. 

********

“You’re doing well, Lothar, one more.” Khadgar said.

“I don’t… _need_ … encouragement.” Lothar hissed between breaths.

Khadgar nodded, biting his lip. He had never spotted for anyone before--he didn’t really go to gyms. He wasn’t exactly the athletic type. 

“Sorry.” he mumbled. 

Lothar did a few more repetitions before hanging the barbell back up on the rack. His hands brushed Khadgar gently, causing the younger man to blush as Lothar sat up. He pulled his shirt up, using a dry patch towards the bottom to wipe his face. Khadgar tried very hard not to stare at the toned muscles of Lothar’s back. He failed miserably, hoping the blush quickly deepening on his face would go unnoticed as he handed Lothar a water bottle. 

Lothar nodded a thanks, eyes glancing up at him. A smirk twitched across his face, mischief dancing in his eyes. 

“Hey, Khadgar,” he said, drawing the syllables out tantalizingly, “What are you doing Sunday?”

“Sunday?” Khadgar hummed thoughtfully. “Well, that’s the day before the launch, so we need to be at the station to get ready and do final tests. Why?”

“Well, we don’t need to be there until the afternoon.” Lothar pointed out. “Do you want to get breakfast with me?”

Khadgar stared, barely realizing that his mouth was hanging open. “Uh, yeah, um, that sounds great!”

“How about that diner down the street, say… seven o’clock?”

“Seven o’clock.” Khadgar repeated with a nod. “Sounds great.”

********

Lothar sat at a table outside the small diner. The street was nearly empty; it was still early, and the city hadn’t begun to wake up quite yet. There was a peaceful serenity that hung in the pale light of morning as it warmed his face, hair and beard rustling gently in the breeze. He took a deep breath, letting the warm scent of bread baking tease his nose. He smiled to himself when he saw Khadgar hustling towards him.

“Sorry,” Khadgar panted, “I’m late.”

“It’s quarter-til seven, kid.” Lothar chuckled. “I’m just early.”

Khadgar nodded as he sat, draping the strap of his satchel over the back of the chair. He ran a hand through his hair as he smiled across the table.

“So, are you excited about the launch?”

Lothar smiled widely. “Yeah, you could say that. I’ve always wanted to go to space, ever since I was young. It seems surreal, like, I can’t believe it’s actually finally happening.”

Khadgar returned the smile. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Still,” Lothar continued, mischief in his eyes, “I’m going to miss Earth food. I might starve up there, eating freeze-dried crap twenty-four seven.”

Khadgar laughed mirthfully, eyes bright. “I’ll enjoy enough food for the both of us while you’re gone.” he assured him jokingly. “That’s why I’m staying down here.”

“Is it?” Lothar inquired. 

Khadgar paused, lips parted slightly. “How do you mean?”

Lothar leaned on his elbow, propping his hand up on his chin. “Is that really why you’re staying down here?” Lothar asked again. “You love space; why not go?”

Khadgar smiled. “Ah, well, I used to want to, when I was younger.” Khadgar admitted. “But then, I realized how dangerous it was. I’m kind of a coward, I guess.” he added sheepishly. 

Lothar shook his head. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be afraid. It is dangerous.” he agreed.

“And you’re not afraid?” Khadgar asked.

Lothar smiled. “I mean, if you think enough into anything, there’s plenty to be scared of. Like, look, you know about space. We’re basically hurtling at an alarming rate through the great unknown. That’s unsettling.” he smirked. “So, I figure, I can hurtle through space on a giant rock, or I can take a step further and hurtle through space in a shuttle.”

Khadgar nodded, hoping that Lothar would continue. He couldn’t help but be attracted to Lothar’s sudden philosophical passion, the man’s blue eyes bright like lightning as he spoke. Unfortunately, the waitress had finally noticed them and approached their table, cracking her gum as she spoke.

“What can I get for you today?” she asked, boredom dripping from her Southern accent.

“Coffee, please.” Lothar said with a smile. 

“Me too, thanks.” Khadgar added. She jotted it down before turning away, her blonde curls bouncing as she left. 

“So,” Khadgar prodded, hoping to continue the conversation, “You’re not afraid to hurtle through space in a tin can?”

Lothar laughed. “Nah,” he sighed, “The worst that can happen is I die up there.” Khadgar felt his breath catch in his throat. “And,” Lothar continued with a smile, “If I’m going to die, I’d rather die up there, close to the stars.”

Khadgar nodded slowly, letting the thought dance in his mind. “Try not to though, alright?” he said quietly. 

Lothar chuckled again as their waitress brought their coffee. “Alright, kid, I’ll do it for you.”

********

“Commander Lothar, this is Ground Control. Do you copy? Over.”

“I hear you loud and clear, Khad. Over.”

Khadgar took a deep breath to still his fluttering heart. 

“Minute thirty till launch.” Llane announced beside him. 

“Water pressure system now being armed for release. Over.” Khadgar stated. “Confirmation: three main engines ready for ignition. Over.”

“One minute.”

“Space shuttle now on internal power. Over.” Khadgar stated as Llane signalled the switch. “Liquid valves are closed, data recorders are activated and standing by. Over.”

“You sound pretty hot when you’re serious. Over.” Lothar said over the telecom, the smirk on his face practically audible.

“We’re on television, mate. Over.” Llane scolded, though he wore an equally smug grin.

“Handoff to _Honor_ ’s on-board computers activating… _Honor_ now in control. She’s all yours, Lothar. Over.” Khadgar continued, his voice remaining firm despite the obvious pink flushing his cheeks.

“Twenty.” Lothar began, switching the countdown on.

“Firing sequence activated. Over.” Khadgar could feel nervousness rush into him like a river, but he forced himself to remain calm. “T-minus ten…”

“Nine, eight, seven…” Lothar continued, his heart pounding. The roar of the engine overtook the intercom. “Three, two, one…”

“Liftoff.” Khadgar announced, gut clenching as the shuttle took flight, climbing slowly into the open expanse of sky. 

“Houston in control of flight path.” Llane announced. “ _Honor_ is in proper alignment to arrive at the International Space Station in approximately eight minutes and thirty six seconds. Over.”

“Altitude at two miles, _Honor_ has travelled six miles laterally. Over.” Khadgar stated, glancing at the navigational screen in front of him. “Speed has broken five hundred miles an hour. Over.”

“Damn, you think my Mustang could hit that on the highway? Over.” Lothar’s voice chimed over the intercom. 

“Take this seriously, dammit. Over.” Llane groaned.

“Liquid pressure reining engines back to seventy two percent of performance capacity. Reducing impact on shuttle as it breaks the sound barrier. Over.” Khadgar pressed on, determined not to let Lothar’s remarks derail his determination. He did have to admit, however, that they were keeping his anxiety at a manageable level. “All systems normal, flight speed reaching nine hundred miles an hour. _Honor_ is six miles in altitude, nine miles down range. Over.”

“ _Honor_ , go with throttle up. Over.” Llane commanded. 

“Copy: throttle up. Over.” Lothar confirmed.

“Thirteen miles in altitude, fifteen miles down range.” Khadgar read off. “Speed approaching two thousand miles an hour. Over.”

“Damn.” Lothar said again, but he graciously kept further comments to himself. 

“All systems normal. Ten seconds from rocket booster separation. Over.” Khadgar could feel the nervousness boiling inside him.

Ten seconds seemed to take ten years as Khadgar held his breath, watching the screen intently. The boosters separated, falling away from the shuttle as it continued its steady ascent uninterrupted. Khadgar let himself breathe.

“Boosters away. Over.” Lothar confirmed over the telecom.

“Thirty four miles in altitude, forty eight miles down range. Speed has reached three thousand two hundred miles per hour. Over.” Khadgar reported.

“I’m right over the highway, Khad. Over.”

“I’m aware. Over.”

“But, like, in _space_. Over.”

“I’m _aware_. Orbital rocket boosters igniting. Over.” Khadgar continued. 

“Copy: ignition successful. Over.” Lothar confirmed. Khadgar nodded, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

“Forty six miles in altitude, eighty one miles down range. Speed nearly four thousand miles an hour.” Khadgar read. “ _Honor_ is directly on trajectory to the International Space Station. Over.”

There was a moment of tense silence as the rocket continued its ascent into the atmosphere. “Fifty five miles in altitude, one hundred and twenty miles down range. Travel speed reaching five thousand miles an hour. Over.”

“ _Honor_ , we have reached negative return. Over.” Llane stated, voice low. 

Lothar paused before responding. “Copy: reached negative return. Over.”

Khadgar swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew well enough that negative return meant the shuttle was too far into orbit to return to the launch pad in case of an emergency. The fact seemed to have sobered Lothar as well.

“All engines performing at optimum levels.” Khadgar reported. “Sixty two miles in altitude, one hundred and eighty miles down range, travelling six thousand miles an hour. Over.”

“Avionic cooling systems activated; environmental systems stable. Over.” Lothar said calmly, though he was unable to hide the relief in his voice. “Holy shit, that’s the _earth_.” He laughed as Karos, one of the other astronauts, said something to him in Russian. “He’s calling me a newbie.”

“ _Honor_ , you’re on target to make in-flight emergency-landing targets. Over.” Khadgar stated with a smile. 

“Copy: on target to make in-flight emergency targets. Over.” Lothar confirmed with an equally broad smile. 

“All systems performing normally. Altitude is sixty seven miles, three hundred and twelve miles down range. Speed approaching eight thousand miles an hour.”

“Initiating roll sequence. Over.” Lothar reported. 

“Copy: all clear to initiate roll.” Llane said with a nod. Khadgar held his breath as the rocket began to roll so the shuttle was on top of the fuel tank, giving it a more stable position to detach and continue on its straight trajectory. 

“Roll successful. Over.” Lothar said. Khadgar let himself breathe again, smile breaking across his face. 

“Copy: roll successful.” Llane said, a smile breaking across his face as well. “This is it, mate. Over.”

“Ninety seconds left in powered flight.” Khadgar announced. “Speed approaching four miles per second. Over.”

“Per _second_?” Lothar laughed gleefully. Khadgar could hear Karos mocking him in Russian.

“Focus, Lothar, please. Over.” Khadgar groaned.

“Sorry, kid. Over.”

“Prepare to cut power from engine. Over.” Khadgar pressed on.

“Copy: standing by for external tank separation. Over.” Lothar replied.

A silence hung over the telecom as Lothar made the necessary preparations. “External tank separation successful. Over.” 

“ _Honor_ now in preliminary orbit.” Llane said firmly. “Almost there, mate. Over.”

“A flawless flight to orbit, Commander. Over.” Khadgar said, pride spilling from his voice.

“Thanks, kid.” Lothar was beaming. “Major Frostwolf, this is Commander Lothar aboard space shuttle _Honor_ approaching the International Space Station.” he relayed to the astronaut aboard the space station. “Do you copy? Over.”

“I copy. Over.” came Durotan Frostwolf’s reply. Lothar smirked. 

“We are preparing to board. Are boarding protocols initiated? Over.”

“Boarding protocols are initiated. We are ready for you to board. Over.”

Khadgar let himself smile as he watched the shuttle move slowly towards the docking bay, knowing that the chances of something going wrong were decreasing almost as fast as the shuttle’s speed as it inched towards the space station. 

He cheered with the rest of the Ground Control team when they heard Lothar’s voice over the phone: “Ground Control, we have successfully boarded the International Space Station. Over.”

********

“Khadgar, are you there?” Lothar’s voice cracked over the intercom. 

“Of course,” Khadgar replied with a smile, “Where else would I be?”

Lothar laughed. “That’s a good point, kid. Hope you’re ready to be stuck at Houston for three months straight. I can’t believe you’re the only official CAPCOM for this mission.” he added with a sigh.

“They don’t really need more than one.” Khadgar said firmly. “The mission doesn’t require a CAPCOM twenty-four seven since you’re in the ISS.”

Lothar chuckled, causing Khadgar to cock an eyebrow. “Didn’t expect you to get defensive, kid.” Khadgar felt his face flush.

“I’m not getting defensive!” he protested. Lothar merely laughed again, causing Khadgar’s blush to deepen.

“Right, of course.” Lothar agreed. “You’re just happy that you’re the only CAPCOM, is that it?” he challenged. 

“Maybe,” Khadgar shrugged, “But it’s kind of nice to be trusted with such a big responsibility.”

“Right, that’s the only reason, is it?” 

“What do you mean?” Khadgar asked. 

“Are you sure you don’t just want an excuse to talk to me all the time?” Lothar teased. 

“N-no!” Khadgar protested, eliciting a hearty laugh from the man on the intercom. 

“That’s a shame; I was looking forward to hearing your lovely voice more often.” Lothar said with a smirk. 

Khadgar paused as his heart skipped a beat. No one had ever told him that he had a lovely voice before, and coming from _Lothar_ , the compliment was enough to send his heart into overdrive. “Wait, really? Do you really mean that?”

Lothar laughed again. “Of course. What, do you think I’m lying to you, Khadgar?”

“Not lying,” Khadgar said slowly, “Teasing, rather, I think. You’re teasing, aren’t you?”

“I’m not.”

Khadgar paused again, letting the gravity of the statement sink in. “Well,” he said finally, “I suppose we both get what we wanted, then.”

********

Lothar called with a report every day, even though the typed report he sent after every experiment was more than sufficient. If anything, he enjoyed explaining his work to Khadgar, who always asked questions and responded with a very appropriate amount of enthusiasm. Besides, Lothar was always eager to talk to someone other than the other astronauts. After living with them for a month in close quarters, he desperately desired the company of others. Even more desperately, he desired the company of Khadgar. He was a passionate young man, with a mind that was eager to learn and mature enough to have philosophical discussions at ungodly hours of the morning. 

It was ironic, really. Lothar was finally in space; this was everything he had ever wanted since he was a child. He was so close to the stars, so close to the universe he had grown to love and marvel at, especially since he talked about it with Khadgar so much. Yet, the more time he spent in space, the more he missed the earth, even if it was stretched out in front of him with all the breath-taking beauty he had dreamed it would have. He missed the most mundane things, too: food, running water, driving his Mustang down the highway. Even if catching floating food out of the air with his mouth never got old--and frankly, it never did--he still missed the smell of homemade waffles from the diner down the street from his apartment, missed digging into them with a fork and knife.

Khadgar had begun to doze off when the harsh sound of the phone ringing startled him. He grabbed his headset, shoving it over his ears as he pressed the call-accept button. “Lothar, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, kid.” Lothar replied. “How’s it going down there?”

“Fine,” Khadgar said with a smile, “How’s it going up there? Got the latest report for me?”

Lothar sighed. “Not tonight. We didn’t do any experiments today; just ran some maintenance on all the systems up here. Boring stuff, really. I won’t put you to sleep telling you about it.”

Khadgar smiled. “You’re on the International Space Station, Lothar.” he pointed out. “Nothing is boring.”

“ _Everything_ is boring.” Lothar groaned. “It’s been a month. Living up here is getting to be so normal, y’know? It sucks,” he admitted with a sigh, “That I’m floating above the earth’s atmosphere, literally _living_ in space, and it’s gotten to be _normal_.” Static crackled over the intercom as Khadgar bit his lip, silently considering what Lothar had said. Lothar sighed. “Like, don’t get me wrong, looking out the window and seeing the god damn _earth_ will never get old. It’s beautiful. But, just living and doing normal, living-type things has gotten to feel mundane. I don’t like it.”

“What do you mean, ‘living-type things’?” Khadgar asked. 

“You know, eating, showering--things like that. Normal things.” Lothar explained. 

“How exactly _do_ you shower in space?” Khadgar asked. “I never really thought about it, but I guess you have to bathe somehow, don’t you?”

Lothar grinned. “You want me to show you?” he said. 

“Sure,” Khadgar replied with a smile, “Let me bring up the video chat.” His fingers flew deftly across the control keys, and, with a firm press of the “Enter” key, Lothar’s face flashed onto his screen. Khadgar couldn’t help but smile; he found that he had missed that face, those gorgeous blue eyes. 

Lothar smirked. “This isn’t what I had in mind when thinking about us showering together for the first time.” he teased. Khadgar rolled his eyes. 

“Just show me how to shower in space, Rocket Man.” he said playfully. Lothar’s smirk widened. 

“‘Rocket Man’, eh? I like that.” he said, nodding. He reached for a bottle with a tube sticking out of the top. “So, this is the shower.” he said, holding it up for Khadgar to see. He pressed the tube against his skin and squeezed gently, the water clinging to his skin as he drew it along his arm. “See how it sticks like that? Water’s natural adhesive tendency causes it to stay there in zero-gravity.” he explained. Khadgar nodded enthusiastically as Lothar reached for a second bottle. “Now, this is soap, so you just squeeze this into the water like so--” he continued, squeezing the soap into the bubble of water that clung to his skin, “And rub it in gently.” he said finally as he rubbed his forearm. 

“That’s really cool, actually.” Khadgar said as a wide smile broke across his face. Lothar couldn’t help but smile with him. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty neat, using physics to take a damn bath.” Lothar agreed. Khadgar laughed lightly. 

Lothar grabbed a thin towel, rubbing it over his wet arm. “See, now this towel is wet, so we clip it to the wall near the vent so when the water evaporates, it goes back into the ventilation system.” he explained. “That way, we can recollect it, purify it, and use it again.”

“That’s really cool.” Khadgar repeated. “Not so mundane after all, is it?”

“Not when I talk to you about it, no.” Lothar admitted with a gentle smile. “Thanks, Khadgar.”

“For what?”

“Reminding me that this is quite possibly the least mundane thing a human being can do. I’m in _space_ , after all.” he added with a smirk. 

********

Khadgar nodded a silent thanks as Llane set a rather large cup of coffee in front of him. He let the warm steam drift over his face for a moment before taking a sip. He shuddered as the bitter taste filled his mouth; Llane had apparently forgotten that not everyone in Ground Control drank their coffee black. Still, the assault on his tastebuds only served to wake him up further, which he definitely needed. 

“Khadgar, why don’t you go home? Someone can cover for you.” Llane suggested, placing a gentle hand on Khadgar’s shoulder. “You really should sleep.”

“I’m fine, really.” Khadgar said with a smile. “This is my job. It’s only a few more weeks. And I’ve been taking naps.”

“I know.” Llane chuckled as he rolled his eyes. “You’ve already passed out on the control board. Lothar got worried when you didn’t respond.”

A twinge of pink rose to Khadgar’s cheeks. “Look, I already apologized for that.” Llane laughed again, causing Khadgar’s blush to deepen. “Besides, if anyone’s worried, it should be me. I’m not the one floating two hundred miles above the earth in a glorified tin can.”

“Two hundred and forty nine miles, Khadgar.” Llane corrected with a shit-eating grin. Khadgar rolled his eyes. “Are you saying you’re worried about him?”

“Of course I’m worried about him!” Khadgar laughed incredulously. “Aren’t we all?”

“Not enough to ruin your sleeping schedule for nearly two months over it.” Llane teased. Khadgar opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. He bit his lip as Llane ruffled his hair playfully. “He’ll be alright, Khadgar. He’s a professional. He didn’t go through all that training for nothing. Besides,” he added with a grin, “He’s got all of us down here to take care of him. Now, get some rest.”

Khadgar nodded, defeated, as he stood, letting Llane take his seat.

********

“Sing me a song, oh Piano Man.” Lothar teased. Khadgar rolled his eyes. 

“I’m not going to sing for you.” Khadgar groaned. “And I don’t play piano.”

“Come on, kid, I miss music. They never play any up here.” Lothar pleaded. Khadgar sighed, running a hand through his hair absentmindedly. “I bet you have a lovely singing voice.” Lothar pressed. Khadgar laughed.

“What makes you think that?” he replied inquisitively. 

“Well, your speaking voice is so lovely, it would only make sense for your singing voice to be lovely, too.” Lothar said with a grin. Khadgar blushed despite himself. 

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“ _That_.” Khadgar insisted. “Your teasing.”

“I’m not teasing.” Lothar said, a false air of innocence in his voice. Khadgar rolled his eyes. 

“Fine,” Khadgar sighed, defeated, “But if you tell anyone, I’ll crash you into the moon on your way home.” 

Lothar laughed brightly. “Deal,” he agreed, “No one will ever know.” 

Khadgar sighed, his hand running through his hair again. “Okay, umm… well, what do you want me to sing?” 

“Something about space, probably.” Lothar requested with a grin. 

Khadgar sighed. “Erm…

“ _She packed my bags last night pre-flight_ ,” Khadgar started, his voice low. 

“ _Zero hour nine a.m._

_And I’m gonna be hi-i-igh as a kite by then._

_I miss the earth so much, I miss my_ \--”

“My Khad.” Lothar interjected, the smirk practically audible in his voice. Khadgar flushed, his eyes narrowing at the phone as if Lothar could see.

“Could you not?” Khadgar huffed indignantly. “I’m trying to do you a favor here.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Lothar said without an ounce of apology in his tone. Khadgar sighed before continuing.

“ _It’s lonely out in space._

_On such a ti-i-imeless flight._

_And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time_

_Till touchdown brings me round again to find_

_I’m not the man they think I am at home_

_Oh, no, no, no._

_I’m a rocket man_ …”

Khadgar nearly jumped out of his chair when Llane’s voice came from behind him: “ _Rocket man, burning out his fuse up there alone_.”

“L-Llane!” Khadgar stammered. “I-I didn’t think, er, I d-didn’t know you were coming in tonight!”

Llane fixed Khadgar with the most smug grin Khadgar had ever seen. “ _Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody, and you’ve got us feeling alright_.” Llane quoted as Khadgar caught his breath. The younger man rolled his eyes.

“That’s not even the right song.” Khadgar grumbled, his cheeks burning. “That’s ‘Piano Man’, not ‘Rocket Man’.”

“I know,” Llane chuckled, “But you’re the Piano Man, aren’t you?”

Khadgar’s heart dropped. “You… you weren’t here the whole time, were you?” He groaned as Llane’s grin widened in response. “Great. That’s great.”

“Is Llane there?” Lothar chimed in over the phone. “Put me over the speaker! I want to talk to him.” 

Khadgar clicked the button obediently, pressing a hand to his temple. 

“Llane, did you hear Khadgar singing?” Lothar asked excitedly. 

“Yeah,” Llane affirmed smugly, “He’s not bad either.” 

“No, he’s really good!” Lothar agreed as Khadgar shrank into the chair, hoping it would swallow him.

“I regret almost every life decision that has led me to this exact moment.” he mumbled, hand covering his eyes so he couldn’t see Llane’s smirk as the older man laughed. 

********

“Standing by for entry interface. Over.”

“Copy: ready for entry interface. Can’t wait to see you again, kid. Over.” Lothar replied. Khadgar smiled to himself.

“Altitude at four hundred seventy thousand feet. _Honor_ at two hundred miles from splashdown target.” Khadgar read. 

“We’ve reached entry interface. Over.” Lothar’s voice crackled over the intercom. 

“Nine minutes and fifty two seconds until splashdown.” Khadgar announced. “Over.”

“Prepare for blackout. Over.” Llane said, voice low. Khadgar swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“Try not to cry while I’m gone, kid. Over.” Lothar teased. Khadgar simply nodded, throat tight as static crackled over the intercom, signifying that the capsule’s communication systems had gone offline. They had entered the blackout.

“All systems are normal, performing optimally.” Llane announced. Khadgar nodded again. “External temperature has reached four thousand degrees Fahrenheit; speed approaching twenty thousand miles per hour.” Llane read. Khadgar steepled his fingers, pressing them against his lips. There was nothing for him to do now but wait until the communication systems came back online. 

There was nothing he could do except watch in anticipation as he sat in mission control, miles and miles away from the splash site. The Navy had their boats out on the open ocean: several rafts circled the area near the massive ship that would take the capsule on board. All that was left to do was wait.

Llane chewed his lip furiously, hands on his hips as he watched over the rim of his glasses. The room was dead silent, anticipation so thick it could be cut with a knife. Khadgar wanted nothing more than to remain on the line with Lothar through the whole thing; talk to him, make sure he was okay. Khadgar knew how advanced these capsules were, but that didn’t stop him from thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. 

Horribly wrong.

“All systems performing normally. Range to splashdown is one hundred and twenty seven miles. Thrusters are performing optimally.” Llane read. “Tracking right down the middle; set to splashdown on target.”

Khadgar watched the screen closely as the capsule tumbled through space, the earth below growing closer and closer. “Range to splashdown, about five miles.” Llane reported. Khadgar’s breath caught in his chest as flames licked the capsule’s camera. “Honor has reached subsonic speeds.”

“Standing by for forward-bay jettison.”

Khadgar bit his lip hard, the metallic taste of blood seeping into his mouth as the forward bay cover detached from the capsule, flying off into sky as the parachutes erupted from the top of the capsule. He let himself breathe when all the parachutes deployed properly. 

“Fifteen thousand feet until splashdown.” Llane announced.

Khadgar’s eyes flickered to the system readouts on the small screen in front of him, and he felt his heart plummet faster than the capsule. 

“Llane,” he said, voice low, “the oxygen readout is offline.” 

Llane remained silent, biting his lip as he looked at the readout screen. “I know.” he replied after a heavy silence. 

“Oh, god.” Khadgar breathed, pressing his head into his hands as he leaned forward onto the desk. “Oh, my god.” 

“All other systems are normal.” Llane reported. “Altitude is four thousand feet. All main parachutes are performing well.” He squeezed Khadgar’s shoulder reassuringly, though he continued to worry at his lower lip. 

A heavy silence hung in the air as a red light pinged on. An alarm dinged, signifying that the oxygen in the capsule was being sucked to the heat shield. 

“Lothar…” Khadgar whispered, tears welling in his eyes. 

“Look,” Llane said slowly, “the emergency protocol will activate. The oxygen level in the capsule will be sufficient until splashdown.”

“We don’t know.” Khadgar’s voice cracked. “We can’t know, not without the oxygen readout.”

Llane nodded, giving Khadgar’s shoulder another squeeze before looking back at the screen above them, away from Khadgar’s tear-filled eyes.

“Thirty two hundred feet.” Llane reported. “Surface wind level at twelve knots. Perfect conditions for homecoming.” he said with a hopeful smile. 

Khadgar’s mind raced back to their first simulation. The emergency protocol hadn’t activated. The oxygen in the simulated capsule had run out. Lothar would have died if it had been the real thing. He couldn’t stop his mind from imagining that now, at this very moment, the same thing was happening, only this time, it was the real thing. Without communication to the capsule or the oxygen readout, there was no way to know if the emergency protocol had activated correctly. All they could do was sit and wait. 

“One thousand feet.” Llane read. “Thirty seconds until splashdown.”

A tear rolled over Khadgar’s cheek as the timer ticked down to twenty seconds. Ten seconds. Five seconds…

Splashdown. 

Khadgar scrambled to switch on the communication link. “Lothar? Lothar, can you hear me?”

Static.

“ _Lothar_ ,” he choked, tears streaming down his face, “Can you hear me?”

A sound crackled through the static. Khadgar’s breath caught in his chest. 

“Lothar?”

“That’s _Commander_ Lothar to you, kid.”

Relief washed over Khadgar like a wave as laughter escaped his lips, buried in the cheers of the mission control room.

********

Khadgar bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited in the airport, biting at his lip. His eyes flickered back and forth between the terminal entrance and the television screen that reported that Lothar’s flight had landed. He would come through those doors any minute, and Khadgar would walk over to him with a smile on his face and a sarcastic remark on his tongue. What should he say…

As soon as Lothar walked around the corner of the terminal, Khadgar felt his feet carry him as he ran, tackling Lothar to the ground as his arms wrapped tightly around his waist. 

“Ah, dammit, kid.” Lothar laughed, ruffling Khadgar’s hair playfully. “Don’t do that; there are cameras.”

“I don’t care.” Khadgar’s muffled reply came from Lothar’s chest. “I was so _worried_ , you ass.”

Lothar laughed again, cupping Khadgar’s cheek as he lifted Khadgar’s head, making their eyes meet. “What, like it’s my fault? I was literally falling from space. I didn’t even know the readout was offline.”

Laughter bubbled up from Khadgar’s chest as he smiled, face flushed. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Lothar.” he said. “Weren’t you scared?”

Lothar chuckled, shifting his weight to escape from Khadgar’s grip. He sat up, resting his arms on his knees as he pulled them towards his chest. “Well, not until we hit the water. It felt like we were floating there for _hours_.”

Khadgar blinked as he searched Lothar’s blue eyes. “Lothar… Are you scared of the ocean?” he asked, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. Lothar lunged forward, ruffling his hand through Khadgar’s hair aggressively as Khadgar laughed. 

“Shut up, kid, no one asked you.”

********

“Holy shit, this is _so_ good.” Lothar moaned through the giant bite of waffle he had just shoved into his mouth. Khadgar laughed. 

“I’m pretty sure you’re only supposed to make noises like that during _sex_ , Lothar.” Khadgar laughed as Lothar moaned again. 

“You heard enough of those last night to know the difference, kid.” Lothar said through a wide grin. “I missed earth food so much.”

Khadgar smiled over the cup of black coffee he brought to his lips, letting the familiar taste run over his tongue as he drank. He had to admit, for hotel room service, their breakfast was incredibly good. They had booked the room upon Lothar’s return and spent the night together as a miniature vacation.

“I missed _you_ so much.” Khadgar said softly as he put his cup down. Lothar paused, looking up at him over a bite of waffle hanging on his fork. He opened his mouth to reply, letting go of the fork and proceeding to jump when it clanged loudly against his plate. 

“Ah,” he said, looking down at the fork with a sheepish smile, “Gravity.” 

Khadgar laughed, eyes bright. “You look good with drops of Jupiter in your hair, Commander.” he said with a grin. Lothar chuckled. 

“It still felt great to wash them out with a real shower.” Lothar replied snarkily. “Running water is such a wonderful thing. 

“And yes,” he added as Khadgar opened his mouth to reply, “I _did_ miss you while I was looking out for myself upfor myself out there.” Lothar smirked triumphantly as a blush spread across Khadgar’s face. “Heaven really is overrated.” Lothar continued as he reached across the table to run his fingers gently across Khadgar’s bright red cheek. “You’re not there.”

Khadgar smiled, mischief glittering in his eyes as he stood slowly. “Well,” he said, voice low enough to send a shiver running up Lothar’s spine, “Since you made it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded--” he wrapped a firm hand over Lothar’s arm, biting his lip as his eyes darkened, “ _I’ll_ just have to make you see stars.”

Lothar let Khadgar pull him out of his chair, stumbling only slightly over feet that were unaccustomed to gravity as the younger man led them towards the hotel bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you want to shoot me a prompt, my tumblr is ocarinaenthusiast.tumblr.com. Also, please feel free to leave constructive criticism!
> 
> I don't know if I have to say this, but I don't own any of the songs or anything here. I just listened to them a lot while writing this.


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